IGP Mohammed Adamu, the Inspector General of Police has withdrawn the police detail attached to Emeka Offor, a billionaire businessman, Femi Fani-Kayode, the former aviation minister, and other policemen attached to 60individuals, clerics, and companies across the country. The order was contained in a letter with reference no.CB: 4001/IGP.EC/ABJ/VOL.116/32 dated November 4 and addressed to Commissioners of Police, Police Mobile Force, Special Protection Unit, and all Commissioners of Police in the states in the Federation.
Persons on the list are Babachir Lawal, the former secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Lado Yakubu, Ambassador Yuguda Bashir, Uche Chukwu, Senator Boroface Ajayi, Mutiu Nicholas, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, Edozie Madu, David Adesanya, Chris Giwa, Chief
Godwin Ekpo, Chief Pius Akinyelure,and others.
Corporate firms like Think Nigeria First Initiative, Uche Sylva International, Stanel Groups, KYC Holding, and others were also among the list.
In October, The IGP issued a directive to all commands with reference number CB:4001/DOPS/SPU/FHQ/ABU/VOL./ORDER to withdraw policemen attached to Very Important Persons with the exemption of those attached to Government and the Legislature. This came on the heels of an attempt
by the IGP to reform the Police after the disbandment of SARS,
and the establishment of SWAT.
A lot of public affairs pundits have described the situation of police attaches as a problematic one because of the proliferation of attaches to government, individuals, corporate, social, and religious organisations. They described it as shortchanging the Nigerian people who are saddled with grave security challenges, as well as straining an already underequipped and undermanned Police Force. This may be the reason behind the recent intervention of the Inspector General of Police.